Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) signed a collaboration agreement with Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), to support small island developing states (SIDS) and the least developed countries in the creation of green jobs and development of green industries.
The agreement focuses on four important projects across the globe, the Eastern Caribbean Green Entrepreneurship Initiative, the Pacific Green Entrepreneur Network, Climate Smart Agriculture for Kiribati and Solar-Powered Irrigation for Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Senegal River Valley.
The impact of these projects will be supporting green entrepreneurship, innovation, and employment in 12 Caribbean and Pacific countries with a focus on developing viable Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMSE), in locally relevant green industry.
It includes business incubation, development support, grant and non-interest loan financing through a revolving Green Investment Fund. In addition to enhancing local production, it will cover consumption, and awareness of nutritious locally grown vegetables in Kiribati through a climate smart agriculture training and micro agri-business support programe aimed at schools and school gardens. It will also provide income support and improve crop yields and incomes for farmers through deployment of Climate Smart Agriculture and solar irrigation programs in Senegal, a least developed country (LDC) bordering Sahel region of Africa.
The three-year agreement will play a role in supporting economic resilience and sustainable development whilst also helping tackle climate change.
During the ceremony that was held virtually HE Director-General of QFFD Khalifa bin Jassim al Kuwari said: “QFFD remains committed to work closely with its strategic partners like GGGI. This co-operation with GGGI will emphasise Qatar’s role in mitigating climate change side by side with the global community in addition to supporting the least develop countries, through achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. For his part, Director-General of Global Green Growth Institute Dr Frank Rijsberman said: “Qatar and QFFD’s leadership are commendable in supporting climate resilience and ambition in small island developing states SIDS and LDCs that are hit hardest by both climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are excited to work with QFFD in delivering impactful projects that would not only enhance climate resilience, local innovation and jobs creation in SIDS and LDCs but will also support these countries in building back better from the impacts of this pandemic.” On October 22, QFFD and GGGI signed an MoU to support SIDS and LDCs achieve climate resilience and green growth in line with UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement.